It doesn't come naturally
by fluffyedge
Summary: The story of a typical albeit geographically challenged new Pokemon trainer, Natsuki, as she explores Hoenn. She's not particularly talented, and her travels can hardly be called adventures, but she's fun to write about, and read about too, I hope.
1. And we're off! But to where?

"Are you freakin' _kidding _me? I wake up at 6am, somehow drag my butt across half of Hoenn to get here, and you tell me the Professor is _out_?"

Well, this definitely wasn't a good start to my journey as a Pokémon trainer.

Flipping my coal-coloured hair over my shoulder, I sent the lab assistant my best glare. Slightly flustered, the man tried to explain exactly why the slacker - I mean, renowned professor - wasn't here. Apparently, he was doing field work (pfft, more like playing with some fluffy Pokémon) somewhere along Route 102, which, if I may add, I had just come through.

Sighing, I turned around and headed for the exit, planning on finding Birch myself so I could (finally) get my first Pokémon.

* * *

"So, Natsuki, have you decided which Pokémon to choose?" Professor Birch asked with a slightly guilty smile. I'd been right, the guy had completely forgotten about me and had left his lab to "bond" with some wild Poochyena. I'd shove a stick of pocky down his throat if I wasn't so addicted to it myself.

Staring intently at one of the three creatures before me, I slowly nodded my head before pointing to the water-type. "I'd like Mudkip, please."

At the mention of its name, said Pokémon lifted its head and blinked, before giving me (what I assumed to be) a smile.

Ooh, Saru was gonna throw a fit. My childhood friend – and according to her, my Number One Rival – had always loved fire types, and was overjoyed to find out she was going to live in Lavaridge Town, right by Hoenn's only active volcano. You can bet your ass she'll have gotten a fire-type starter. And you can bet that I'll kick _her_ ass when I next see her. Hooray for water-types!

* * *

Leaving the lab with Mudkip's Pokeball clutched in my hand, I looked up at the sky and grinned to myself... and almost crashed into another Trainer (at least, she looked like one). Quickly twisting to the left, I avoided her, yet somehow managed to walk into the only sign in Littleroot Town. Hearing a snicker from behind me, I turned and glared at the girl as she smirked at me.

"Smooth," she scoffed, and entered the Lab, leaving me to rub my sore nose as I fought back tears. The stick of pocky I'd shoved in my mouth before was now lying in pieces on the path. This was so not my day.

Deciding it was probably a better idea to do something productive, i.e. not sitting on the ground all day, I got up and headed north. I think.

* * *

Several hours later saw Mudkip and myself wandering blindly through a thick, dark forest. To be honest, I had no idea there was such thick vegetation between Littleroot and Oldale... I knew there was forest to the east and west of Littleroot Town, but I went a different way!

Or did I? Heh, I really should have paid attention during those Geography classes. But they were so boring! I don't care about the alternating currents near Pacifidlog Town! Still, I was starting to regret not bringing a town map along with me. I should've probably packed a compass too... or borrowed a Nosepass from the day-care (although I doubt one could fit in my bag).

Panting heavily, I collapsed under a tree and tossed my bag to one side. Perhaps a little too far to the side, because it continued rolling and tumbled down the side of the hill. This was kind of strange, as I didn't recall climbing uphill at all. Hm, suspicious. Or maybe I was just too tired to notice. "Why me?" I sighed, before practically crawling in the same general direction my bag had gone, with Mudkip trailing after.

* * *

"Hah! Found you, ya bitch!" Clinging to my bag, I let out a rather loud exclamation, resulting in Mudkip looking at me like I was an idiot. "May the legendary Pokémon spit on you from the clouds, if you ever escape again!" Okay, maybe I was an idiot.

After a surprisingly long trek downhill (I still denied climbing it in the first place), I'd located the runaway bag wedged between a couple of trees. Eventually yanking it free, I glanced at the sky.

"Holy Shiftry! When did it get so dark?" All that pointless walking sure made time fly. Doing some mental calculations in my head, I realised we'd entered this forest over five hours ago. And we hadn't eaten in that time, either! How could I have forgotten something so impor-

Both mine and Mudkip's growling stomachs interrupted my thoughts. 'Heh, right on cue...' I thought, opening my already-dirty bag and removing some Pokémon food and a box of pocky (I told you before, I'm addicted to it). Pouring some of the former's contents into my hand, I stuck my arm out to Mudkip. "I know it's not much, but I have no idea how long we'll be in here for..."

Sniffing it cautiously – we'd only just met, really, and you shouldn't accept food from strangers, right? – the small Pokémon prodded my hand with its nose. After deciding neither the food nor my hand would bite it, he took a piece, chewing slowly. His joyful cry told me it was indeed edible and enjoyable too, so I began crunching my pocky as he devoured the remaining pellets.

It was only a few minutes later when we heard a high-pitched screech, and I sprung to my feet, with Mudkip somehow balancing on my head. Turning a full 360°, I relaxed slightly, seeing nothing.

Letting out a breath I didn't realise I'd been holding, I reached up to Mudkip, only to be hit in the back by something and knocked off-balance. My thoughts were something along the lines of 'What the hell was that?' as I swivelled to the side, looking for both my Pokémon and whatever it was that had attacked us. Luckily, I located my partner first, so I grabbed him fled through the trees, which was stupid due to several reasons. First of all, whatever was chasing us could fly frustratingly fast, so I'd never be able to outrun it. Second, the only light I had was the moon and stars, so I pretty much ran head-first into every tree this forest had to offer. And finally, I'd left my bag behind. I was really starting to hate that thing.

Still running in what I hoped was a straight line, I told Mudkip my ingenious plan: "When I turn around, you attack them with Water Gun! Then, we go and get my bag (again), and get outta this place!" What did I tell ya? Pretty damn clever, huh? No? Mudkip didn't think so, either. But it's difficult coming up with an idea while running for your life, and I could feel my head throbbing from the numerous lumps the bloody trees had given me.

Wheezing, (sure, I could sprint, but running for long periods of time in an over-grown forest at night was exhausting) I skidded to a stop, and turned around to stand by Mudkip's side. We stood there silently – well, my partner did, _I_ was practically hyper-ventilating – awaiting our pursuer like the fools brave warriors we were.

Neither of us heard them coming. We only saw the gaping mouths between the bushes and trees, with the moonlight reflecting of their razor-sharp teeth.

Maybe I should've kept running. Maybe I should have trained with Mudkip more.

Maybe I should've brought a map.


	2. Bats and buddies

One of the Pokémon screeched again, and I covered my ears to block out the horrible noise. Next to me, Mudkip flinched as a large black shadow fly at him, shrieking. Hey! I knew that move... it was Astonish, undoubtedly.

'Uhh... big mouth, flying nocturnal thing that learns Astonish... wha- Oh! That's it!'

Once I'd figured out what they were, I wasn't as terrified. I could think clearly enough to shout out to my partner, "Mudkip, those things are Golbat! Use Water Gun!" Hah, we were gonna kick their butts to Johto and back.

...Well, that had been the (new and slightly improved) plan. Until Mudkip let out this rather pathetic dribble of water. Seriously, there wasn't enough to drown a Rattata.

I hit my head against a nearby tree – deliberately this time. I should probably have checked what moves he knew, huh? So... what exactly could Mudkip do?

The water-type's cry drew me from my thoughts. Looking over, I saw he'd been hit by a Golbat's Wing Attack. Not good. But... Mudkip was... glowing? He did nothing as the wild Pokémon repeatedly bashed him, it was like he was biding hi- oh, duh. Bide. Still, Mudkip looked like he was in pain...

I called out to Mudkip, encouraging him to "hang in there", and I guess he heard, because he cried back in response, and the soft glow suddenly grew and blinded me. I could still hear, though; the shrieks of pain from the Golbat were deafening.

When the light faded slightly, I cracked open an eye, and gasped when I spotted an exhausted Mudkip on the ground. Exhaling, I picked him up, praising and thanking him. Deciding I didn't want to risk him getting in more trouble, I recalled him into his Pokéball, before sprinting in the direction of the Golbat. Don't ask me why, they _had _just attacked me after all. But I couldn't help think they were in some kind of danger.

Several minutes later, I skidded to a halt, gawking at the scene before me. A huge net had trapped a bunch of Golbat along with some smaller Zubat, and a rather shady-looking guy was tying the net up. Hearing me arrive, he looked up and glared my way. Before he could do anything, I grabbed Mudkip's Pokéball and sent him out, calling for a Tackle attack. Feeling a little more energetic now, Mudkip bounded over to the man, slamming in to him forcefully.

Unfortunately, the poacher was a tad... um... bulky, so the attack did no more than make him stumble slightly. Still, it was enough to piss him off, and he swung the sack 'o' bats at Mudkip, whacking my partner into my stomach.

Struggling for breath – the collision had knocked the wind out of me – I looked up. Apparently the poacher had some muscle hidden beneath his fat, because he was hauling the wild Pokémon away pretty easily. I needed to do something, fast. But what could I do?

* * *

"Gyaaaaah!"

Wow. That poacher may have been strong, but he wasn't the most agile guy.

I'd gone to chase him, Mudkip at my side, trying my best to look intimidating. I like to think my menacing approach was what caused him to stumble, but it's unlikely. It was probably because of his size, and the poor lighting. He tripped as he was running, and bashed his head on a tree, knocking him out. In comparison, I looked almost graceful.

Thanking the forest for the convenient tree placement, I reached the unconscious thief and untied the bat Pokémon. I tossed the net over the poacher, fearing he would wake up at any moment. With a sigh of relief, I turned back to face the Pokémon, noticing most had backed away aside from one large Golbat – the leader?

It began talking in a Golbat-kinda way; probably thanking me or apologizing for the attack earlier. It turned away slightly, and I looked over its shoulder – uh, wing – to see a smaller Golbat approach with two blue-purple balls.

"Are those… eggs?" I asked, squinting in the dim light. The leader nodded in response, and the eggs were placed in front of me. I thanked them, flustered but happy, and reached for my bag, grabbing at air…

* * *

"DAMN IT!"

The bat Pokémon blinked in confusion, trying to see through the cloud of dust I had left in my wake. They heard me easily, though – a crash echoed through the forest after a few moments, followed by loud swearing, directed at an innocent tree.

"Um, excuse me… Are you okay?"

I groaned and rolled over, away from the sun, and away from the voice that woke me… wait, what? Who said that?

Opening my eyes, I looked around in a daze, eventually noticing the person leaning over me.

She looked maybe a year or two younger than me, and had light blue hair that matched her icy eyes, which I suddenly realised were watching at me. I'd probably already creeped her out, staring like that for so long. Way to go, Natsuki. Always one to make a good impression!

Thinking I should break the awkward silence and possibly redeem myself, I introduced myself: "Eheh, hey there. I'm Natsuki, who are you?"

"My name is Lya! It's nice to meet you, Natsuki. Are you a Pokémon trainer?" The girl – Lya – tilted her head, probably wondering why I was asleep in the middle of nowhere. "Or were you about to get your first Pokémon, and got lost? Because Littleroot Town is just over there."

…

Lya gasped at my foul-mouth, but I ignored her reaction, totally pissed at myself for getting completely lost and ending up back where I started.

* * *

After I calmed down, I told Lya what had happened the previous day. She giggled at my terrible sense of direction and my lack of sense in general. Geez, just because _she's_ only 13 and came here on her own from the Sinnoh region, she thinks she can laugh at me? Hmph.

"So, Lya, I take it that Glaceon is yours… does that make you a trainer too?" I asked as we walked towards Oldale Town, watching the ice-type Pokémon.

"Mhm, she's my best friend! We've been together for a long time, but she only evolved recently. I came to Hoenn a few weeks ago from Snowpoint City, my home. I've always wanted to be a Pokémon Coordinator and I heard Hoenn's the best place for contests!" Lya suddenly seemed much bubblier; I guess she was really excited about becoming a Coordinator. "Of course, I haven't been in an actual Contest yet, and I only have two Pokémon, but I'll reach the top in no time!" She pumped her fists as she finished speaking, the determined expression just making her look cuter. I didn't say this, though, as I was confused by her contrasting icy looks and fiery personality.

"Wow, you seem really set on being a top Coordinator…"

"Well, what about you, Natsuki? Why did you become a trainer?"

I grinned, that was easy. "I'm gonna be a Pokémon breeder like my grandparents! They own the day-care near Mauville City, and I've been helping out there ever since I was a little kid."

Lya's face lit up with admiration. "Really? That's so amazing! You must know heaps about Pokémon already, you'll be a great trainer."

I looked away, embarrassed. Sure, I knew a lot about looking after Pokémon, but I really didn't know much about battling. I mean, just look at the way I screwed up Mudkip's battle with the Golbat! I didn't even know what moves he could use. Silly, naïve Lya. I'll probably be a hopeless trainer.

"Mudkip, mud!" Aw, Mudkip noticed how gloomy I'd gotten and was trying to cheer me up! I smiled at my partner, and adjusted my bag. The two Pokémon eggs were pretty heavy, but I checked them frequently, and I was happy knowing they seemed healthy.

* * *

Three days later the eggs hadn't changed, but my friendship with Lya had sure grown. It was strange how I could get along so well with someone who was the complete opposite of my best friend. Not just looks (Saru's love for fire-types even showed in her hair colour), but also personalities. While Lya came across as a shy, quiet person, she opened up quickly and was very friendly, caring and polite. Saru, on the other hand, was pretty much just explosive and arrogant.

I watched my new friend and her two Pokémon (the second one being her starter, a Piplup) playing by a pond with Mudkip. My partner had grown over the last few days, too. With my experience as a breeder and Lya's Piplup's assistance, Mudkip had learnt Water Gun easily, and we were working on improving Mud Slap.

I cleaned my two eggs absent-mindedly, thinking about how well things had turned out. I hoped Lya would be around for a while; she was fun to have around _and_ knew how to read a map. Bonus.

* * *

"You're leaving?" Guess I spoke too soon. "Where are you going?"

Lya explained how the next contest was going to be held in Slateport City, and to get there she needed to head north and then cross the river on route 102. "It's been really fun the last few days, but if I want to get to the Grand Festival, I need at least five ribbons, and… yeah…" she trailed off sadly.

Disliking seeing her so sad, I quickly thought of a way to lighten the mood. "Well, you'd better hurry and get going! 'Cause y'know, I'm gonna get strong really fast, and before you know it, I'll be stronger than you!" I continued, smirking, "Next time we meet, I'm challenging you to a battle, so you'd better be ready."

Her childish smile appeared once more, but a shocked expression quickly replaced it when I held out one of my Pokémon eggs.

"What? Don't look like that, just take it! I don't need two, anyway. Or, uh, think of it as a gift for guiding me here," I chuckled awkwardly, hoping I could prevent the emotional Lya from crying. "I mean, if it wasn't for you, I'd probably be lost around Littleroot Town still!"

Thankfully, Lya joined in my laughter, and when we stopped, she continued smiling. I grinned back, thrusting the egg at her once more, and this time she took it.


End file.
